19 Different Types of Donuts: A Definitive List

BY: Andy Seifert |Nov 15, 2018

It's no coincidence that humanity's two finest inventions resemble each other. First came the creation of the wheel; then millennia later, in a similar stroke of genius, came the donut, an ingenious confection made of fried dough.

We live in a golden age, when there are dozens of different types of donuts available. Below, we attempt to definitively list the greatest of these varieties, the ones you have to eat in your lifetime. (Might we recommend a donut deal to get started?)

Of course, no list of the different kinds of donuts could include every single type. There are thousands of brilliant donut bakers concocting new flavor combinations and fried-dough shapes every day. But these 19 span the greatest donuts ever conceived:

1. Glazed: Our list of donuts had to start with perhaps the most-ubiquitious one of all time; if you've never had a glazed donut, go find one right now.

6. Maple Bacon: This mother of all gluttonous donuts, the maple bacon donut brings together the flavors of maple syrup with bacon sprinkles (or, sometimes, a full strip). It's a delicious as it is unhealthy.

Shape: Can come in any shape or size.

Topping: Maple-syrup frosting and real bacon.

7. Donut Holes: No list of the different types of donuts would be complete without mentioning donut holes, which bakers like to say were created when they poked the hole into a regular donut.

18. Éclair: The best donut France has to offer. Éclairs are long, often custard-filled and topped with colorful creativity.

Shape: Long and rectangular, not unlike the Long John, but typically less wide.

Topping: Usually with a chocolate icing and sometimes a few other treats as well, ranging from nuts to fruits.

19. Sprinkles! When life has got you down, head over to your local donut shop and buy anything with sprinkles. You'll be glad you did.

Shape: Can come in any shape.

Topping: Sprinkles.

Getting Hungry? Find Donuts Near You

If this list made you feel unusually hungry for donuts, we don't blame you. Luckily, there's probably a neighborhood donut shop near you, and if you click on your city below, you might also find a great deal at those donut shops: